Automatic oil-check for lubricator drain-passages.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

W. E. BRYANT. AUTOMATIC OIL CHECK FOR LUBRIOATOR DRAIN PASSAGES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1907.

5 V. W N t. t H

1m: NORRIS PETERS co. WASHINGTON, 0. c4

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. BRYANT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MICHIGAN LUBRICATOR00., OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC OIL-CHECK FOR LUBRICATOR DRAIN-PASSAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed July 1, 1907. Serial No. 381,637.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I/VILLIAM E. BRYANT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Oil-Checks forLubricator Drain-Passages, and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to lubricators of the hydrostatic type, and1particularly to a float valve for automatica y closing the drainpassage opening leading from the body of the ubricator to prevent theescape of oil when draining the water from a lubricator preparatory torefilling it, and the invention consists in the construction andassociation of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means ofsuch character as to readily withstand the high pressure present withinthe reservoir of the lubricator, especially in lubricators designed forlocomotive use, and wherein the arrangement is such as to automaticallyeffect a closing of the drain passage leading from the lubrioator bodyupon the dischar e of the water therefrom, the residuary 0' within thebody or reservoir being retained and the wasting thereof prevented. Theabove object is attained by the device illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical section through thelower portion of a lubricator body or reservoir, rovided with a draincock plug and check va ve embodying my invention, the parts being intheir normal position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the position ofparts at the time of draining the water from the reservoir, the valvebeing seated to prevent the assage of oil. Fig. 8 is a sectional view trough the plug cock and valve cage, showing the position of parts whenit is desired to blow out the reservoir by passing a current of steamtherethrough. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the valve cage.Fig. 5 is an enlarged diametrical section through a ball valve, showingthe weighted lower half for the purpose of directing the ground surfaceof the ball to the valve seat.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the body orreservoir of the lubricator, the upper portion of which is broken away,said reservoir being adapted to contain oil and water in superimposedrelation, as will be well understood.

Screwed into a tapped opening in the bottomof the reservoir is a drainplug 2 having a central aperture therethrough and provided with a plugcock 3 which is screwed into the lower end of said plug and providedwith a central opening indicated by dotted lines 4 extendinglongitudinally thereof and communicating at its upper end with atransverse aperture 5 extending through the wall of said cook. The upperend of the plug cock is adapted to seat at 6 around the opening throughthe plug 2 to close the passage therethrough. When the plug 3 isunscrewed from its seat, as shown in Fig. 2, communication isestablished between the passage way through the plug cock and theinterior of the reservoir to allow the fluid contents of the reservoirto pass therefrom through said plug cock, except when the drain passageway is closed by the check valve, as hereinafter explained.

The upper end of the plug 2 is counter bored and tapped, and into saidtapped openings is screwed the lower threaded end of the valve cage 7.The upper end of the plug 2 forms the bottom of the valve cage and isprovided with a tapered seat 8 for the lower ball of the ball valves 9.These valves, as will be seen, are spherical and are formed hollow togive them the required buoyancy, while the lower ball which seats at 8is provided at its lower arc with a thickened wall 10, as clearly shownin Fig. 5, to add weight to the lower side of the ball, whereby saidside is always caused to swing downward and is always presented to theseat 8. By this arrangement, a perfect fitting for the valve on its seatmay be accomplished by grinding the 5 lower periphery of the ball tosaid seat.

The specific gravity of the balls is such as to cause them to float inwater and sink or precipitate in oil. In the operation of the ordinaryhydrostatic lubricator, water of condensation is directed into thebottom of the oil reservoir, whereby an equal amount of oil is displacedand discharged out the oil feed pipes, not shown, which lead from thereservoir near the top. At the time the oil which filled the reservoirof the lubricator shall have been discharged therefrom, the reservoirwill be filled with Water of condensation, necessitating the drawing offof said water to enable the reservoir to be refilled with oil. To enablethe water to be drawn ofi, the plug cock'is opened, as shown in Fig. 2,when the water 11 will be discharged through said cock. As the water isdrawn ofi and the oil 12, of which there will be a quantity always onthe top of the water, reaches the balls so as to cause them to becomeimmersed therein, the density of the oil will not be suflicient to floatthe balls, causing them to precipitate and seat at 8, thereby preventingthe passage of any of the oil from the reservoir. The plug cock is thenclosed and the reservoir refilled with oil, the

parts then being in the normal operative position of the lubricator. Asthe water of condensation accumulates in the bottom of the lubricator,the balls will be floated, as shown in Fig. 1, leaving the drain passageway open for the drawing off of the water when it is again necessary todrain'the reservoir. It will be noted that the upper end of the draincock is provided with an extending pin 13 which when said plug cock isseated, will engage the lowermost ball and hold it from the seat 8. Thepurpose of this pin is to enable the lowermost ball to be held from itsseat, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby providing for blowing out thereservoir with steam whenever it is desired to do so, a steampassage waybeing aflorded for this purpose, past the lowermost ball and through theplug cock, which in that position is not seated.

The valve cage 7 is composed of four triangular bars 14 connected by aring at the top and bottom and between which the balls are confined tomove vertically. In the upper end of the valve cage is a screw plug 15which afiords access to the interior of the cage enabling the balls tobe placed therein or removed therefrom at pleasure.

It has been found that where a single float valve was employed for thispurpose, it was necessary to make it oblong in shape in order to affordthe required gravity when immersed in oil and enable the valve to beemployed in this particular capacity because of the comparativelyrestricted .area within which it must be used. The extremely highpressure carried in locomotive boilers made it difficult to maintain anoblong valve in this capacity without said valve collapsing under saidpressure. To obviate said difiiculty and devise a valve, which, whilebuoyant in water should supply the requisite gravity when immersed oiland enable the application of said weight to a comparatively small areaor seat, and at the same time withstand any pressure which it might benecessary to carry in the reservoir, I devised the double ball valveshown herein. The two balls will readily float when immersed in water soas to keep the drain passage open for the discharge of the water ofcondensation when required; said balls, however, will precipitate in oiland by lacing one above the other in the manner s own, the upper ballwill add its weight to that of. the lower ball to hold the lower ballupon its seat when the water shall have been withdrawn from thereservoir, and prevent a possible escape of oil due to the rolling ofthe lower ball from its seat because of the swinging and. jolting of thelocomotive. The upper ball, as a rule, will be partially out of the oilwhich occupies the bottom portion of the reservoir after the water hasbeen drained therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby materially adding tothe weight of the lower ball to retain it seated.

By attaching the valve cage to the drain plug in the manner shown, saidplug and.

valve cage are made interchangeable with all lubricators using astandard drain plug, enabling any lubricator to be fitted with thisdevice by removingthe ordinary drain plug and substituting therefor theplug and valve cage herein shown.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a reservoir adapted to contain liquids ofdifferent specific gravity and having a drain passage leading therefrom,of a float valve consisting of plural float members adapted to closesaid drain passage when surrounded by the lighter liquid.

2. The combination withareservoir adapted to contain water and oil insuperimposed relation and having a dischar e opening leading therefrom,of a float va ve in said discharge opening adapted to seat prevent anoutward flow of fluid therethrough, said float valve consisting ofplural memlbers buoyant in water but precipltable in 01 3. Thecombination with a reservoir, of a drain plug communicating therewith, avalve cage on said plug fprojecting into the reservoir, a spherical oatvalve in said cage adapted to seat and close the drain opening and adrain cock in said plug.

4. The combination with a reservoir, of a drain plug communicatingtherewith having a drain opening therethrough, a valve cage mounted onthe plug projecting into the reservoir, a plurality of spherical valveswithin said cage in superimposed relation, the lowermost valve beingadapted to close the drain therein to opening, said valve being buoyantin Water liquid, said float valve being heavier upon and precipitable inoil, and a drain cock in one side than on the other. 10 said plug. Intestimony whereof, I sign this specifica- 5. Thecombinationwithareservoir adapttion in the presence of two Witnesses. edto contain liquids of difi'erent specific WILLIAM E. BRYANT. gravity andhaving a drain passage leading Witnesses: therefrom, of a float valveadapted to close E. S. WHEELER,

said opening When immersed in the lighter I. G. HOWLETT.

